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Berlin Says Schwedt Refinery Secure After U.S. Sanctions Waiver

A U.S. waiver under federal trusteeship cuts legal risk, clearing the way for a hydrogen project that supports local jobs.

Overview

  • Elisabeth Kaiser, visiting the site Tuesday, said the refinery now has planning certainty for new investment.
  • Rosneft’s German subsidiaries that hold a majority stake in PCK remain under trusteeship by the federal network regulator, with a new rule allowing lasting federal control.
  • The U.S. Treasury recently granted a permanent exemption for those trustee‑managed firms, removing the risk that sanctions could disrupt crude deliveries or payments.
  • The government is funding a €245 million hydrogen project in Schwedt to make low‑carbon kerosene, a move aimed at protecting jobs and steering the plant toward cleaner production.
  • PCK stopped using Russian Druzhba pipeline oil in 2023 and continues to supply fuel, heating oil, and jet fuel to Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, and western Poland.